Brad Crawford's Pandemonium Shadow Show
by Sybil Rowan
Summary: This places Schwarz and Schreient in the "Something Wicked This Way Comes" story's universe from Bradbury. It cast Crawford in role of Dark and Schuldig as Cougar. Schreient are prisoners of Crawford and he asks them to help enslave the Takatoris.
1. Chapter 1

Author: Sybil Rowan

Pairing(s)/Characters: Nagi/Tot and implied Crawford/Schuldig. Schön and Hell do flirt with Masafumi, maybe more, but nothing to graphic.

Rating: T

Summary: This places Schwarz and Schreient in the "Something Wicked This Way Comes" story's universe from Bradbury. It cast Crawford in role of Dark and Schuldig as Cougar.

Warnings: None, really. I'm keeping it as close to Bradbury's original story's feel, which is a children's story.

Author's Notes: BTW, the Takatori family is all together and Shuuichi is corrupt. I had contemplated this story for a long time. I decided to finally do it to honor of my favorite author, Ray Bradbury, who passed away a few months ago. He is still one of my inspirations.

Disclaimer: Weiss Kreuz, its names and characters belong to Koyasu Takehito, Project Weiss, Marine Entertainment and Animate Film. And of course, Ray Bradbury's estate owns rights to "Something Wicked This Way Comes."

Beta Reader: You guessed it, WingedPanther73

Date: October 14, 2012, 5:00am

Schuldig watched his partner; he was in a deep sleep. The German didn't need his telepathy to know Crawford's mind was in a dynamic state of flux, far flung into the future. The normal humming of his partner's brain was currently a full roar, clanging in Schuldig's head painfully. It was pure music to him.

The dim light in the dilapidated, carnival trailer allowed Schuldig to see the furrows in Crawford's brow. Whatever he was dreaming was going to lead them to good fortune; Schuldig could taste it. He drew another worn Tarot card from Crawford's deck.

Schuldig frowned as The Tower mocked him. He sneered and tossed it across the room into Crawford's black top-hat. The card sliced several spider webs as it sailed into the hat's well.

_ :Hell, keep your daughters to yourself,:_ Schuldig projected his thought to the woman. No doubt, she and her sisters were plotting escape from Crawford's sideshow, again. He snorted at the idea. No one left Crawford once they made a deal with him, not ever.

_ :Is he up yet?: _Hell's thought was as bitter as a taste of horseradish to Schuldig. He frowned at Hell's sass; it interrupted his concentration on Crawford.

_ :No, wench! And stop annoying me, or I'll put you in the Hall of Mirrors again.:_

_ :Just because Crawford favors you? Made you his barker? More like his whore!:_

_ :You shut up! Now, you bitch! Or I'll get Farfarello to toss you into the Hall of Mirrors!:_

The threat finally silenced her rebellion. Schuldig couldn't blame her for hating him. He was the one that facilitated the deal between her and Crawford. At one time she was a famous forensic scientist in Japan on a case she couldn't close; it drove her to the brink of madness.

Schuldig offered to let her see the culprit's face if she'd only step into the Hall of Mirrors. He told her it would clear her head. Indeed, she saw the murder's reflection in the mirror, but it was too late for her to leave after she glimpsed the man's face. She made the mistake of not asking to solve the case, so as far as she knew, he was on the loose.

After all, it was his job as Crawford's carnival barker to lure in the weak or needy so the carnival could live and breath like a great, bloodied beast. Now Hell, along with many others, were Crawford's property, and Schuldig was still Crawford's most apt and willing carnival barker.

Schuldig's attention was pulled back towards Crawford. The carnival owner's mind slowed down, being dragged backwards by the currents of time. Soon, he would be in the present.

_ :Brad, you're not completely back?:_

_ :Not yet.:_ The craggy projection echoed through Schuldig's mind. _:Nagi?:_

_ :I sent him to pack up the fairway. I'll send Farfarello to organize those sideshow wenches.:_

_ :The House of Screams is a good draw; one we'll need at our next stop.:_

_ :Oh? Where are you taking us?: _Schuldig loved the horror ride Crawford referred to, it was well suited to Hell and her other sideshow sisters. With the one ride, Schuldig was able to claim twelve victims in the last town the carnival appeared.

_ :Tokyo,: _was Crawford's only thought.

Schuldig drew back the crimson curtain shielding the small window of their trailer. He frowned at the moon-bathed, American Midwest landscape that surrounded them.

_ :I certainly will miss Kansas. So many people willing to give us so much for a little thrill. But Tokyo is where we caught three of those sideshow wenches five years ago.:_

_ :You'll enjoy Tokyo again. We'll get five for the price of one! Two will refuse the deal, but we won't worry about them. Just the ones with corrupt and greedy hearts make deals with me.:_

* * *

Masafumi scowled at his younger siblings. Mamoru and Ouka ran ahead, giggling, shouting, and pointing as if they were small children and not teenagers. They had insisted on coming to the foreign carnival, intrigued, like many citizens of Tokyo, by its sudden late October appearance. Masafumi picked up some faint smell of decay around the garish and well-worn carnival.

There were crimson, azure, and chartreuse tents everywhere. Many people from around the world worked the various games of skill and strength around the midway. Pungent wafts of carnival food fought to distract Masafumi from figuring out where the source of rot emanated from, not to mention the incredible racket and screams coming from the make-shift rides.

He looked over his shoulder towards Hirofumi so he could avoid looking at the strangely pale, one-eyed carny that ran the Ferris wheel. His slightly younger brother slumped by a dilapidated food truck. Masafumi noticed his brother leering too long at teenage girls and boys passing by. He ground his teeth and stopped short of chiding his gloomy brother; after all, his father was adamant about cheering Hirofumi up.

The court case had been closed quietly last week, thanks to Uncle Shuuichi and their family lawyer, Rinzo Kinugawa. It was vitally important that no one in all of Japan knew Hirofumi was guilty of kidnapping and rape. It helped make the case go away when Reiji also sent the girl's parents a large sum of money. Now, Reiji insisted everything go back to normal, and, hopefully, he would be elected Prime Minister next month.

"Masafumi! We're going on this ride!" Mamoru shouted across the dusty midway. Masafumi shivered slightly as he watched the pale, one-eyed carny help his young half-sister into a Ferris wheel car next to Mamoru. Masafumi gritted his teeth harder as a wave a hatred rushed over him. That boy was the 'golden child,' favored by their uncle and grandfather. And Ouka was Father's pampered princess that could do no wrong.

Reiji never let Masafumi forget that intellectual pursuits weren't valued in Takatori tradition, only raw power. Masafumi believed the only power worth having was scientific knowledge; his father was too greedy with money to see that truth.

His face twisted into a bitter grimace as he watched his two youngest siblings rise into the air. Hirofumi slid up beside Masafumi; he was glaring at them, too.

"Two young men like you certainly need other distractions than looking after children."

Masafumi flinched at the presumptuous redhead that appeared out of nowhere. The redhead was in a garish, green coat. He leaned on a gnarled, wood cane and flashed Masafumi a toothy grin.

"And who are you?" Hirofumi blurted out rudely. Masafumi was a little amazed at the foreigner's perfect Japanese.

The foreigner's smile grew wider, and he gave a quick nod of the head. "I'm Schuldig, the carnival's barker. It's my job to make sure you find your way to the right amusements."

"Amusement in this tawdry dump? I doubt it," Hirofumi sneered. The foreigner threw back his head and gave a laugh.

"But we have some of the most intriguing young ladies in the world here." Schuldig pointed the tip of his cane towards a bright red tent. Masafumi was intrigued at the teenage girl that did three back flips and then lofted a stick. She blew a plume of fire from her mouth and ignited the tip of the stick. A few patrons applauded and then wandered off when she put the stick out in a bucket of water beside the tent's entrance.

She noticed them staring at her. She gave them a jaunty wave and disappeared into the tent. Masafumi glanced over to see Hirofumi was interested, too, but not a good way. His brother stalked towards the tent, so Masafumi followed to ensure Hirofumi didn't get into more trouble.

Masafumi halted at the tent's opening, overwhelmed by the thick odor of incense. His eyes stung as they adjusted to the dim light. "Welcome, gentlemen," an enthusiastic, high pitched voice called out.

The girl was waving. Masafumi took note of her odd, white dress with a thick crinoline and huge lace collar. She also wore fingerless gloves, but no shoes. Her hair was an odd blue color, which Masafumi though was some sort of new teenager trend, thankfully, Ouka hadn't stumbled across.

"It's been too long since Tot has had guests! Nagi chases off all the good guests. He doesn't like it when guests talk to Tot too long. Guests will stay and talk with Tot?"

Masafumi's eyes narrowed at the prattling, Japanese girl. She seemed addle-brained, but no obvious scars were on her head.

"So you work here?" Hirofumi asked. "You're parents aren't around?"

"Mister Crawford is still asleep, so Schuldig is being bossy." The pout on her face was unmistakable.

"Well, that's interesting. No mother?"

The girl had a slight giggle and covered her mouth. She lowered her hands and said in a low voice, "Mister Crawford keeps Mother and Father in a mirror for me. It's their punishment for hurting Tot. That's why I have to work for Mister Crawford now. Don't say anything, but..." She looked around nervously and leaned in towards Masafumi. "Mister Crawford is a witch."

Hirofumi shot Masafumi a confused expression. Masafumi raised an eyebrow and turned back to the girl. "So where is this 'Mister Crawford'?"

"Tot! Who is out there with you?" a woman's voiced called out. Moments later a tall woman made her entrance from behind a beaded curtain. Her black hair flowed down her shoulders, her red, silk robe was open enough for Masafumi to get an eye full of tantalizing cleavage. She held a thin, white clay pipe in one delicate hand. Masafumi's eyes traveled downward where he saw more thigh than was decent, and he noted her lack of shoes as well. It was the gold ankle bracelets studded with rubies that made her long legs more appealing to Masafumi.

His eyes snapped upwards at the rustle of her wide silk sleeves. A slow smile appeared on her face. She asked, "You brought guests, Tot?"

"Schuldig thought they'd enjoy our company," Tot said brightly.

"I see," the woman replied dryly. Masafumi watched her eyes narrow at the carnival barker's name. She shrugged and part of her robe slipped down to reveal the smooth skin of her shoulder. Her eyes then came to rest on Masafumi, she gave him and appraising look and nodded. "I'm sure we can show them some hospitality. Crawford wouldn't be pleased if we didn't show each guest the utmost entertainment. I'm Hell, by the way, and that's Tot."

"Unusual names," Hirofumi pointed out, still openly leering at the the clueless teenage girl.

"We abandoned our original names when we came to work for the carnival. It's cleaner that way." Hell shoved aside the beaded curtain and walked deeper into the dark interior of the tent.

"Aren't you coming?" Tot asked over her shoulder as she followed Hell.

Hirofumi stumbled after Tot as if in a trance, to Masafumi's consternation. He gritted his teeth and followed. The tent seemed to get taller and and the colors clashed together. Random shapes were sewn into the tent walls, creating a sensation of vertigo when he stared at it too long.

They reached the center of the tent and Hell pulled back the flap dividing the center from the rest. "Neu, Schön, we have guests."

"Really?"

Masafumi turned to his left to see a woman lounging on several large, jewel toned poofs. She leaned on her elbow, revealing she was half naked. From her hips down she was covered in a gold sheet. Masafumi was shocked at such a lurid display. He pushed off his shock and then noticed she was wearing thick gold bracelets and several gold chains around her neck.

The odor of mildew assaulted his nose when he noticed a giant water tank behind the woman. It was constructed with a heavy, rusty frame and held green, murky water. The gold cloth covering the woman from the waist down twitched, catching Masafumi's attention. Something seemed misshapen, but he couldn't figured it out.

"It's always nice to have some male attention. Proper male attention, not the kind that comes from the sideshow," the blond woman said, crinkling her nose. Masafumi could tell she had the same harsh accent as the carnival barker, maybe German, but Masafumi couldn't tell properly. "So what are your names?"

"Takatori... Masafumi. My brother, Hirofumi," he said. He looked beside the tank at a medieval metal chair; it had a small electric generator attached to it. The scientist in him found the device intriguing, as did the sadist in him. "What's that for?"

"It's Neu's act," the blond woman said, flinging her hand towards a corner. The woman with a gray veil melted back further in the shadows and said nothing. He could tell nothing about what the woman looked like.

"Neu's shy," Tot explained. She bounced on her feet a couple times before falling into a split on the floor, and then with acrobatic grace, she flipped backwards and hoisted her body up. She balanced on her palms. Masafumi was grateful her crinoline stayed enough in place, but he knew Hirofumi wouldn't resist much longer.

"We're sorry to interrupt you ladies. My brother and I should leave," Masafumi said, grabbing Hirofumi's elbow.

"Wait," Hell said, stepping up very close to Masafumi. A slight odor of decay hit his nose, underneath her sandalwood sent. She twisted her hand upwards towards Masafumi and seven orange tickets appeared between her fingers. "Come back tonight to see our sideshow. Bring the rest of your family."

Masafumi took the tickets and tucked them away in his suit's coat pocket. "Thank you very much. We'll consider it."

"Those aren't just any tickets. They're a special invitation from the carnival's owner. Don't be late."

Masafumi nodded and left, dragging Hirofumi behind him. He quickly gathered Mamoru and Ouka, promising to bring them back that evening.

* * *

"He's not in, wench," Schuldig said, blocking Hell's path towards Crawford's trailer door with his cane. Crawford's telepathic barker wore one of those Cheshire cat smiles she despised so much. She jabbed her finger at Schuldig's shoulder.

"I want to know why he wanted me to give that man so many tickets! Out of my way!"

"Not until..." Schuldig's head cocked as if he were listing to a silent voice. He lowered his cane, now appearing annoyed. Apparently, he had heard a silent voice from Crawford. She shot him a gloating look as she proceeded into the trailer. She paused to read the sign on the door; it was cream color with Gothic, crimson lettering.

_'Brad Crawford's Pandemonium Shadow Show- Fantoccini, Marionette Circus, and Your Plain Meadow Carnival. Now featuring The House of Screams, home to the four most beautiful women in the world!'_

She gave a derisive snort to the sign, grabbed the knob, and threw open the door. The darkness in the trailer was heavy and thick. Even Hell, after Crawford had changed her, couldn't peer through the darkness of Crawford's home. It intimidated her even more now that she was changed and had a vague notion of Crawford's true nature.

"Come in, Hell. You know I don't bite."

She shivered and could now see the shadows move. Hell watched Crawford shrug on his black coat with the tails. She stepped into the icy cold. He snapped his gloved fingers and three candles flickered on, the door slammed behind her. The iciness retreated slightly and she took in Crawford's post sleep appearance.

He was now in his dark formal suit, his white shirt was starched, and his gray gloves were immaculate in spite of the dilapidated surrounding. His eyes were unfocused and unseeing, he walked over to a table beside his bed and put on the glasses resting there. Hell had a theory that Crawford was physically blind, but those glasses helped him see naturally, somehow. If he were blind, it wouldn't matter because of the base of power Crawford possessed: clairvoyance.

He pushed the glasses high on the bridge of his nose, and his brown eyes focused on her as if he had sight. He grabbed his cane and top hat, and said, "The show is going to start soon, and I know you want to know about the Japanese scientist sent to you. He's my next addition to the House of Screams. It's a forgone conclusion."

"But you gave him a lot of tickets. Why?"

"It's all a part of the deal I'll make with him."

"Please, Crawford, I've heard of this man from my former life." She clenched Crawford's lapels in her fists and pressed close to him, giving him a pleading look. "The man is too brilliant to be here, he's on the verge of a major discovery that could cure humanity of so many diseases. He's planning to alter the genetic code to make mankind impervious to virus and bacteria. It was a rumor, but it was from a very convincing source. Don't you see what he'll mean to mankind?"

Crawford's expression turned from apathy to thoughtfulness. "You're here to convince me to take someone else in his party and spare Masafumi Takatori."

"Yes, surely there's someone else in that group that'll catch your eye. All those people, we'll help you make deals with them, gladly."

"You will, hmm? You know you have to do what I say regardless? It makes it harder on you and your sisters when you don't cooperate with what I want."

"But I know it expends your energy when we rebel. We'll help you, with no arguments, if you let that man go. Please, Crawford. Wasn't a part of you human once?"

"What was in my past is irrelevant to your present and future. It was your misfortune to meet me five years ago rather than five hundred."

Hell flinched back slightly. At first she was irritated at his typical rambling answer, but she grew stunned at his implication. She gripped Crawford's lapels tighter. "You made a deal, too, didn't you? With who? Who could give you such power?"

A smile played across his lips, his head dipped slightly forward, shadowing his eyes. He held his hand out and blew at it. Black smoke flew from his lips to his fingertips. It solidified into one of his Tarot cards, now it rested between his middle and index fingers. She let go of jacket, seeing the main figure on the fifteenth card of the Tarot deck's Major Arcana.

She gasped, while he gently laughed out loud. He tucked The Devil card in his jacket's pocket and pushed back the brim of his tall top hat with the ruby topper of his cane. "So now that we have that established, you need to get ready for the show tonight."

Hell quickly fled from Crawford's trailer, ignoring Schuldig's mocking taunt. She ran through the crowded midway toward her tent. She drew up short seeing Nagi standing in front of the tent. Tot was prattling to the young man, Crawford's hand-picked prodigy and eventual successor. Nagi was the only one allowed to remain at Crawford's carnival with no deal in place.

Her new knowledge of Crawford gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The same sensation extended to Nagi, in spite of his emaciated appearance. She knew the boy had tremendous power, that's why Crawford had picked him. She'd seen it when he would pack up the midway with no more than his thoughts.

The boy's large eyes swept over her and then jerked to the ground. He seemed irritated at her sudden appearance. No doubt, he was flirting with Tot. He had a mad crush on Tot since she made the deal so she could be free of her abusive parents. Hell was a little afraid Tot was starting to return Nagi's feelings; it was something she wanted to put a stop to soon.

"Tot! Come on," Hell snapped.

"But, Tot was talking to Nagi," she whined.

"Crawford wants the show ready. You better join him, Nagi," she insisted, even though Schuldig would call the young man with telepathy if Crawford wanted to see him. Nagi took Hell's gentle hint and left, casting a longing look towards Tot.

"We have plans to make," she said once Nagi was out of sight. She lead Tot to the deep, dark interior of their tent.

"So what did Crawford have to say?" Schön blurted out.

Hell looked at her and frowned. "He didn't say yes or no. He expects us to do our job."

"But you have hope this man can help us escape?" Schön asked, her eyes wide in desperation. Hell sat next to Schön on her jewel colored pillows. She watched the gold sheet over Schön's lower half ripple in agitation. Hell laid a comforting hand on Schön bare shoulder.

"I'm sure. We'll convince him. When he comes to the sideshow."

"But what if Crawford gets to him first and makes the deal?" Schön asked, choked up and on the verge of tears. She had paid a very heavy price for her deal. Crawford had worded Schön's deal in a most deceiving way. She asked to be transformed into something men had found alluring through the ages, something that would never grow old, and Crawford's black heart granted a terrible curse. Hell's heart went out to Schön and it only made her want to redouble her efforts towards escape.

"We have to hold out hope. Something is odd about the situation. There will be a lot of people with Masafumi, so I'm hoping we can lure him away before he meets Crawford. Tot..." Hell turned towards the girl, "...you'll go seek out Masafumi and bring him to the House of Scream's amusement ride."

"Most certainly!" Tot squealed and twirled on her toe. She did a series of back flips out of the tent and disappeared.

Hell hugged Schön tightly and glanced over at Neu's gray veiled body and face. "We need you to put on the biggest show you can tonight. Do you think you can take down the midway while we talk to Masafumi?" Neu's head nodded and she melted away into the shadows.

"It'll come together," Hell assured Schön. "Get ready for your act at our amusement ride. He'll be astounded when he sees what both of us really are. He'll have no choice but to take us away."

* * *

"Please, Daddy, it'd be so much fun," Ouka pleaded.

"It was so much fun this afternoon. Please?" Mamoru asked Takatori. He glanced across the dinner table. His teenage children both looked hopeful and pleading. He found his resolve to go back to the office weakening.

"Oh, Reiji, you haven't taken them out for a while. Why not?" Shuuichi prodded, ruffling Mamoru's hair.

His resolved teetered until Masafumi said, "You know, Father, this would only improve your campaign for Prime Minister. Think of all the voters you'd shake hands with. If we all went together, it would only improve your visibility."

"It had so many people there," Hirofumi said, picking up Masafumi's cue. "We got seven free tickets."

Takatori gave his two oldest sons a baffled look. It wasn't like either of them want to go to something so common. Still, they made a convincing argument. He could shake hands with the everyday people on the streets.

He nodded, pushing aside his empty dinner plate. "Sure, why not? Shuuichi and Rinzo? You want to tag along? No need in wasting tickets."

His brother nodded. "I better go along, just to check things out. Make sure they have the proper licenses and all." Reiji knew his brother would actually be giving the shake down to the carnival's owner so he lined his own nest.

"Good, good. Rinzo?"

"I think it'll be a nice distraction," the lawyer said, a smile playing across his lips.

"Then it's settled," Reiji's said with a bright smile, giving his daughter a pat on her cheek. "We'll go on a family outing."

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2:

Masafumi inhaled the musty smell of fallen leaves just under the heady scent of spun sugar when they entered the carnival again. He glanced around at the crowded midway, only to have his eye caught by that blue-haired girl from earlier. She waved him over, so he glanced at his family.

Reiji was busy shaking hands with other carnival goers, as was Hirofumi. Ouka and Mamoru were darting away towards the midway. Rinzo and Suuichi were asking the pale, one-eyed carny where they could find the owner.

Masafumi slipped away from them and joined the girl beside a striped tent featuring a ring toss game. "You wanted to see me?"

"Actually, Hell wants to see you before the sideshow starts. This way," she called out, swirled around, and lead Masafumi towards a towering ride. The ride was in the vague form of a rundown, Victorian style house. A small, yellow car lurched along the tracks that snaked in and out of the windows and doors. "Hurry, before Mister Crawford knows you're gone."

Before Masafumi could ask further, Tot was pushing him towards an empty orange car that only carried two people. After he flopped in, the car started lurching towards the front door. Tot hopped in beside Masafumi and gave him a bright smile.

The car lurched along on the tracks, taking them into the dark interior. There was a loud bang and a flash of light. The interior parlor had decadent, red velvet furniture. Gold candelabra rested on a player piano that was playing a tinny tune.

"Wee!" Tot screeched as the car moved them further along. The door in front of them banged open and they rolled through a kitchen, but it was too tacky for Masafumi. It glowed a sickly green, with rust splatters flecked over the tiles. In the center was an old woman wax figure with a cleaver lofted high. Her maid's outfit was splattered in blood. It was the psychotic rage on the face that made Masafumi shiver.

Tot took his hand and squeezed it. "Don't worry. If you're with Tot, nothing can get you. Well..." She suddenly looked thoughtful and cocked her head. "Except for Mister Crawford, but he's busy."

Pity for the young girl flared in Masafumi's heart. She obviously needed professional medical help and this cad, Crawford, was willing to let the girl languish without the benefit of modern science. He patted the girl's hand and said, "Don't you worry about that Crawford fellow. My uncle happens to be chief of police. I'll take you to him after this ride."

She let out a charming giggle and shook her head. "But Tot isn't really afraid of Mister Crawford. The witch helped Tot by banishing her parents to a dark, dark place. Besides, the witch doesn't care about police. The witch only cares about scrying."

Masafumi raised his eyebrow, not sure how to make the girl understand she need to be taken to an asylum to be evaluated. The car jerked from the kitchen and drifted towards a darkened hallway. Tot squealed in glee and threw her arms around Masafumi's neck.

He'd make sure to introduce Tot to Suuichi before he left tonight. His uncle could really put the shake down on this Crawford if he was letting a mentally derange, under-aged girl work for him.

* * *

Suuichi followed the one-eyed carny through the crowded midway. He glanced over at Rinzo. His lawyer friend shot him a suspicious glance.

"Excuse me? Mister?" Rinzo asked.

"Farfarello. Just Farfarello," the carny said, looking over his shoulder and flashing them a chilling smile.

"Farfarello, why don't you tell us all about the owner," Rinzo said with narrowed eyes, concentrating.

The carny paused, turned towards Rinzo, and leaned close. Farfarello held his nose near Rinzo's shoulder, inhaled deeply, and let out a snicker. "Oh... you're of the dust. No wonder..."

Rinzo flinched back, baffled. Farfarello cocked his head as if listening to something. He narrowed his eye at them and jerked his head towards a small, dark gray tent. "Come along, Crawford is expectin' ye. Get a move on."

Suuichi glared at the back of the carny's head, but then he glanced at Rinzo. The lawyer gave Suuichi a slight shrug. Suuichi noticed Rinzo seemed more and more unsettled the closer they got to the small gray tent. In front of the tent was a simple sign on an easel; the sign was cream colored with crimson, Gothic lettering. It read the following.

'Crawford the Oracle: revealing the future through Tarot, Ouija, and Scrying. Table tipping available, as are seoir.'

"Get in there," Farfarello snarled holding back a flap of the tent. Suuichi entered with a little trepidation, but he looked over to Rinzo. He looked extremely uneasy, as if he almost wanted to walk away, but Rinzo followed Suuichi into the small tent.

The man behind the table snapped his silver pocket watch shut and smiled up at them. "Right on time, of course. Brad Crawford, owner of this carnival."

"Takatori Suuichi, my friend Kinugawa Rinzo," the police commissioner replied, giving the man a discerning look. He was dressed in a suit with tails and a top-hat, there was a cane close to his wrist, but Suuichi doubted he needed it. The man suddenly leaned over the table, he held out his tarot deck. He sniffed in Rinzo's direction and sat upright.

"You're an October person, too. You'll make the deal just to be with our kind. You're not hard." The the bespectacled carnival owner turned to Suuichi. "You, on the other hand, will be a challenge." Crawford looked up at the tent's opening and said, "Schuldig, show Rinzo Kinugawa a nice time around the midway. Show him what life could be like with ash running through his veins."

Suuichi looked over his shoulder at the person Crawford addressed at the entrance of the tent. It was a redhead in a garish, green coat again. "It's always nice to entertain one of our kind. Come on, Mister Kinugawa. There's a whole new world for you to see."

Rinzo left only when Suuichi gave a nod. Suuichi watched the one-eyed carny lean an elbow on the back of Crawford's chair. He tossed a small dagger in the air, caught it by the blade, and tossed it absently again. Suuichi wasn't intimated by the threatening gesture, more annoyed.

Crawford just as absently shuffled his tarot deck. Suuichi didn't take his eyes off of Crawford's apathetic expression. "So you're the owner?"

"I answer for the carnival," Crawford said, still shuffling.

"I didn't come for some cheap tricks..."

"No, you're tastes are pretty expensive, aren't they, Mister Takatori?"

"Hun? What do you mean by that?" Suuichi sneered.

Crawford laid the deck on the table and slid it to the side with long, gloved fingers. The hint of a smile played on Crawford's lips. "I don't need this to tell me about you." Crawford tugged his gloves off and and revealed his left palm to Suuichi. On the palm was a black tattoo of a pair of dice. "This is more the game you like. And these are the only cards you're interested in." Crawford's other palm revealed a black tattoo of a pair of playing cards.

Suuichi glared at Crawford. "Listen, the only thing I want to talk about is a few violations I saw as I walked threw your midway. Let's see your licenses."

"Ah, this is the part where I say that I didn't bother to get one. And then you hint that you could look the other way if you get a cut of the door profits." Crawford clenched his hands together and then turned them outward again. Suuichi was impressed how the black tattoos were gone and replaced with a pair of eyes, one on each palm. He wanted to know how the man pulled off that trick. "But you see, there's something I can grant you more valuable than a cut of my door. I can make you a winner. Every card you touch, every dice you touch with your fingers will be a winner."

"What?" Suuichi scoffed. Yes, gambling was a weakness of his. Lately, he relied on shaking down people like Crawford to support it, because Reiji had cut him off from family money. This, Crawford, did seem to know some carnival tricks that may translate well to the gaming tables. Suuichi shrugged and smirked at Crawford. "Sure, I'm game."

"So it's a deal?"

"Sure, sure, a deal," Suuichi said. Something on Crawford's palms caught his eyes. Suuichi wondered if those tattoos actually blinked at him.

"So when ever you touch something while gambling with your fingers, you'll win. The deal is made," Crawford said, and then turned to Farfarello. In a flash the one-eyed carny tucked away his blade. "Make sure our guest gets a tour through the hall of mirrors." He then turned his attention back towards Suuichi. "All will be revealed there."

"Don't mess with me, Crawford. I better turn out a winner or I'll be back." Suuichi turned to leave with Farfarello in tow; Suuichi paused and shivered when he heard Crawford say.

"You'll be back, even though you'll have exactly what you want."

* * *

Rinzo stood with the carnival barker in front of the hall of mirrors. "Why are we here?"

"Because, you're an October person, from the dust. You're one of us, and Crawford wants you to see your true nature."

"What do you mean?"

Schuldig threw back his head and laughed. "Did you really think you've won all of those court cases by yourself? No, it's the ash flowing through your veins. You've always stood apart from people." Schuldig slid up closer, almost nose to nose with Rinzo. He felt a subtle buzzing in his ears. Then, as if it were his own thought, but in the barker's voice, _:Don't you want to see what's under you skin?:_

"What?"

"Come with me." Schuldig gently grabbing Rinzo's tie. He tugged Rinzo towards a bright red dome. The entrance was a tunnel of mirrors that lead to a foggy entrance. Schuldig continued leading Rinzo further into the mirror maze. Random mirrors warped Rinzo's image into all sorts of twisted shapes and sizes. A burst of kaleidoscope lights flared, blinding Rinzo for a moment.

Normal light rose and Rinzo could see his normal reflection suddenly, but gasped when he didn't see Schuldig's. He looked over at the redhead and back at the mirror. "What kind of trick are you trying to play on me?"

"No tricks for you, just a treat." Schudig's breath was hot on his collar. There was something deep inside Rinzo that wanted to lean into that hot breath. Something comforting, something known, but he couldn't see.

"I want to see it," Rinzo said softly.

"Good," Schuldig breathed into his ear.

"Why don't I see you? What trick are you using?"

Schuldig grabbed the man by the shoulders and turned him face-to-face. Those intense azure eyes held him captive, nothing else mattered. "I made a deal with Crawford. He took away my pain and now I serve him. What part of a person do you think is reflected in Crawford's mirrors? Now... do you want to see your real self? Do you want to see what those of us from the dust look like when the flash is stripped away?"

Rinzo's breath left him. He'd always been aware of his extraordinary power to get his way, convince people to do things, even if they would face harm. He never knew why he won every case or broke down every opponent. Everyone labeled him as "gifted," but there was something more to that. Schuldig held him captivated, he felt an innate kinship with the strange barker.

"Who are we?" he asked, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. We feed off of humans and toss them aside. We hunt them, devourer them, and toss away their husk like string-less marionettes. It's their dreams that are our sustenance, and we twist those dreams against them to make them our sustenance. It's a lot like what you do now, only on a scale you can't comprehend... yet. Join us and you'll finally achieve what you've always wanted."

He jerked away from Schuldig's grip and whirled around. He was shocked to see Crawford and a strange boy were standing behind him this whole time. Crawford moved forward. He slowly removed his glasses, tucked them in his breast pocket, and Rinzo noticed all the sudden Crawford's brown eyes were unfocused, now blind.

"There you are, that's what you really look like," Crawford said, a smile playing at his lips even as his eyes drifted upwards, blank, unfocused, and useless. The man with blind eyes man moved forward to Rinzo. The lawyer backed away, only to be pinned against Schuldig's chest. "So is our deal made?"

"What deal?"

Before Crawford could answer, there was a loud shout from behind a mirror. It was from a man, and he then desperately begged and pleaded. Rinzo was amazed to see the one-eyed carny step into the room from the mirror that was the cause of the disturbance.

"That would be Mister High and Mighty Police Commissioner getting a glimpse of the deal he made with ye, Crawford," the carny said.

"Good work, Farfarello," Crawford said, with a bright smile.

"Suuichi? What's wrong with him?" Rinzo asked, getting some trepidation.

"Nothing more than a bad dream," Schuldig said, walking over to the blind man. He leaned on Crawford's shoulder.

"Now back to our deal. Join us and serve me so you can become what you really are," Crawford answered. "You could have unfathomable power, but you must serve me. And then when I choose to go back to the dust, you must serve Nagi and his chosen successors. Turn and look at the mirror. You'll see what you truly are."

He turned to his left with heavy trepidation and gasped in shock at the horrific face he wore. His eyes were blacked, his lips no longer met to cover rows of fangs. Black veins lined his face, but the most horrid thing was his tongue. His tongue was thick, long, and forked. It stretched half way down his throat, and lolled around, a monster to itself.

His initial shock quickly fled. He walked over and touched his reflection with with curious fingers. "That is the real me?"

"Yes, because you're one of us, the October people. Now, make a deal with me and embrace your heritage," Crawford said. He noticed before turning around the only reflection he could see was of the moody teenage boy, but his appearance was normal.

He stepped over to Crawford and vigorously shook his gloved hand. "Thank you."

Crawford looked suddenly annoyed. He turned to Schuldig. "Neu is about to be a very naughty girl. I'll go deal with her. You go get Tot to help you facilitate the deal with Hirofumi Takatori. Farfarello, guide Mister Reiji Takatori to my tent. I'm ready to tell him about his election chances. Nagi, show Mister Kinugawa the ropes."

"You're letting me facilitate a deal. How sweet of you, Brad," Schuldig said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"I reward good behavior," Crawford said, putting his glasses back on, eyes refocused. "But make it iron clad."

Schuldig's face grew stormy. "I have something special in mind for that pervert."

"Please, Crawford, don't involve Tot," Nagi asked, placing a hand on Crawford's sleeve. Crawford patted the boy's hand.

"Schuldig won't let Hirofumi lay a finger on her."

"Damn straight," the redhead confirmed. "I think she'll be delighted to help me once I tell her about his perverted ways."

Nagi nodded, but his expression was still brooding. Crawford lofted his cane and turned towards Rinzo. "Stick by Nagi. Now that I revealed your taint, things could attack you from nowhere. He's very apt."

After that, Crawford, Schuldig, and Farfarello each turned and walked through different mirrors as if they were beaded curtains. Rinzo turned to the slight boy.

"So I have some sort of psychic power?"

"A type of one-sided telepathy. You'll never get to Schuldig's level, but you'll be useful," Nagi explained.

"So what can you do?"

Nagi held up his hand towards a mirror. It shattered in a billion pieces. They glittered like so many diamonds as they slowly drifted to the floor. Rinzo gasped, at first from the display of power, and then at what lay behind the mirror.

"Suuichi!" He ran over to his friend laying unconscious on the floor.

* * *

The small, orange car to this ride sputtered, halted and then started climbing. Tot's arms around Masafumi's neck grew tighter as she squealed in delight. A lurch and the car stopped in the darkness. Tot paused and looked around confused.

"Go, you silly ride," she wailed. The lights rose and Masafumi looked around. They were in what appeared to be a tunnel that was on an incline.

"Tot, later. I have a job for you," the barker's nasally voice came from behind. Tot scrambled awkwardly to turn her self backwards in the car. Masafumi looked over his shoulder. Schuldig was standing with his feet on one of the ties holding the track together. His arms were crossed and a pleased smile played at his lips.

"But Tot is having fun!"

"Crawford says so, so no need in complaining. The sooner we get this done, the quicker I'll have you back with your sisters."

"Okay," she said, pouting. She started to stand up on the seat of the car when Masafumi grabbed her arm.

"Are you really going with him? He doesn't have your best interest, Tot."

"No, it's okay, Schuldig won't hurt Tot. He's nice when the witch is awake," Tot said. She leaped through the air, crinoline fluttering a ghostly white before she landed in Schuldig's arms.

Schuldig flashed him a smile. "Why don't you go play with Tot's big sisters." Schuldig kicked what looked like a long brake leaver beside the tracks. The car lurched up the hill and darkness fell again.

* * *

"But, Schuldig? Why? Tot doesn't like that." Tears were spring to Tot's eyes as her head shook. "I can't do that, help you make a deal. Hell wouldn't like it."

"This one, you'll want to help on," Schudig said, striding though the crowd, Tot in tow.

"Tot won't help Schuldig make a deal!"

Schuldig spun around, grabbed her upper arm, and pulled her to some privacy behind a target shooting game. He looked down into her eyes, and there was that all too rare flash of pity that surfaced on Schuldig's face. "This man does the same types of things your father did to you. He deserves to have the carnival devour him."

Tot felt ire and shame well up inside her; tears started to flow. She nodded. "Tot will help Schuldig, but please don't tell her sisters."

Schuldig smiled and patted her on the head. "It'll be our secret."

Tot felt herself slowly getting delighted. She was actually going to be important and be a real help getting rid of someone nasty like her father. Schuldig turned to leave, but she grabbed his wrist. He looked down at her with a quirked eyebrow.

_:You want to know why Crawford is letting me facilitate this deal for him?: _He projected into her mind.

Tot nodded. He got a bitter expression and lowered his eyes.

_:Because you and I have one thing in common, the same type of parents. Crawford indulges me in my quest to destroy that type of person personally.:_

Tot smiled and clapped her hands together. "Then Tot and Schuldig will go get this person for the witch!"

Schuldig smiled back at her and guided her back towards the midway, arm in arm, both whistling a jaunty tune to match the calliope. "And there he is, you met him this afternoon. After Farfarello makes a scene, you lead him in the hall of mirrors. Get inside a mirror, and I'll handle the rest."

Tot felt a twinge of nervousness being next to someone horrible person like her father, but Schuldig gave her another pat on the head. _:I won't let him lay a finger on you.:_ Her confidence soared after Schuldig's promise. She turned her eyes in time to see Farfarello show up next to Hirofumi and his father.

* * *

Reiji shook hands with many people around the crowded midway. He got a chance to reiterate his plans if elected to be the next Japanese Prime Minister. Many people fawned, and asked him a wide range of questions. He leaned over to Hirofumi during a quick water break at a food truck. "This was brilliant! Your brother was dead on the money."

"We told you it was a great opportunity."

"Well, I'm very impressed..."

"Stop right there!" a voice shouted out, startling Reiji. He spun around to see a man try to run off, but a one-eyed carny caught the man's collar and hoisted him to his toes. The carny dragged the man back to Reiji. The carny held out a wallet to Reiji. He was shocked to see it was his own.

He grabbed the wallet from the carny and glared at the pickpocket. "I'll have my brother personally deal with you when he gets back."

"I'll put this man in safe keepin' for ye, Mister Takatori," the carny said.

"Your name?" Reiji asked.

"Farfarello," the one-eyed carny answered. "I'm sure Mister Crawford will want to apologize to you personally. This way."

"Come on, Hirofumi," Reiji said, about to follow the carny. He turned to see his son's eyes was caught by something.

"Go on, Father. I saw someone I know over there. I'll meet you back here in an hour."

Reiji leaned close to Hirofumi. "Keep your nose clean or I'll cut you off."

"Yes, sir," Hirofumi mumbled before running off.

* * *

"Here," Farfarello said, holding aside a tent flap. "Crawford will be along shortly. He's having to deal with a difficult employee."

"Perfectly understandable. I'm a business man myself," Reiji said. "I appreciate you catching this guy."

"Have a seat, Mister Takatori." Farfarello left, the thief still firmly in his grasp.

Reiji looked around the small musty tent. All sorts of fortune telling devices littered a table in the middled of the room. He hoped Suuichi hadn't put on too much of a shake down, seeing how Crawford's carny caught a man picking his pocket.

He picked up the pointer for the Ouija board and smirked. "I wish you could really tell me if I'm going to win this election. Damn polls are too tight." He casually dropped the pointer in the middle of the board, but it instantly went to the upper left corner over the word 'yes.'

"The heck...?" Reiji murmured just before the carnival's blackout.

* * *

Neu walked onto the brightly lit stage surrounded by a large crowd, mostly men. Her poster advertised 'The Electric Rose.' She threw her gray veil over her head, revealing her silverish belly dancing outfit. Her ankles and wrists were covered in bracelets with tiny, shiny, silver bells.

The audience clapped hysterically when she opened her eyes. She knew they were glowing and pulsating a bright electric blue. The exotic Arabian music blared over the loud speakers. She whirled and danced across the stage, tiny electric bolts crackled and snapped all over Neu's bare skin. Her hair flew around her shoulders as she moved faster and faster, leaping into the air at seeming impossible heights.

The music dramatically, abruptly stopped. She bowed to the audience and turned towards the electric chair to the side of the stage. She sat in it, and rather than her normal routine of letting an audience member shock her to death so they could watch her rise again, she gathered up the electricity laying deep within the carnival. She latched onto the energy running the midway, preparing to take it down.

The stench of brimstone filled her nose as black smoke popped in front of her. She cursed her luck as Crawford emerged from the smoke like a stage magician as the audience clapped. They were under the impression this was a part of the act. He quickly drew a thin blade from the top of his cane and plunged it into her chest. She felt the cool kiss of death, yet again. Her only satisfaction was the midway was now dark with her gone.

Her soul drift just above her head. She watched Crawford withdraw the blade from her chest and loft it towards the audience. He then put his cane back together and raised the ruby topper towards the midway. To Neu's aggravation, the midway flared back to life.

"Now lets bring this fair maid back." Crawford went to the electric generator and yanked back the lever. Raw electricity coarse through her body and her soul was sucked downwards and back in, once again. Countless times she'd been revived like this, each time just as painful as the first. She screamed out loud and the audience was in silent shock.

Crawford helped her to her feet and they both took bows when the audience cheered wildly. Crawford gently helped her off stage to the side and lead her to the show prep tent. There, away from the publics' view, Crawford shoved her into a chair. He leaned down in her face.

"If you tamper with my midway again, you'll be a permanent resident of the hall of mirrors." His glare chilled her sweaty skin and she nodded, and the threat haunted her like nothing else. "You and your sisters can't pull one over on me. Give up." Crawford turned and walked to the entrance of the tent, leaving her dispirited. She only hoped she had given enough of a distraction so Hell could work out her plan.

To be continued.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3:

Hirofumi saw the blue-haired, mysterious girl and pursued her through the crowds. She ducked and weaved, but he could easily follow because her white dress stood out against the bright colors. He pursued her into the large mirrored tunnel that led into a dark red tent labeled the Hall of Mirrors.

He shivered as darkness fell in the maze. A bright flare of red light suddenly revealed the girl. She stood to his left. He stumbled after her. She quickly dodged his hand and she ran into a mirror. Hirofumi paused, confused that the mirror didn't shatter, but appeared to absorb her.

He walked over and saw her instead of his reflection. She stared up at him with wide, terrified eyes. That only induced more lust in his heart. He went to grab at her, but was foiled by the icy surface of the mirror. He pawed at it in irrational anger. She sat on the ground, balled up and weeping.

"Mister Takatori, you seem a bit frustrated," a nasally voice said from behind him. He whirled, red faced and sweaty. He was pissed off to see the redheaded carnival barker. "So... it seems you're trying to talk with Tot?"

"Yes, that's all. I just wanted to ask her something," Hirofumi babbled.

"Like her age?" Schuldig said, grinning wolfishly. "That would be fourteen."

"Fourteen?" Hirofumi asked, looking back at her. She was indeed young and tender, just what turned Hirofumi on. He especially loved it when they were terrified and nervous and pleading for mercy.

"And if she already has a boyfriend? The answer is yes. And I wouldn't recommend crossing Nagi. He can have a temper when he's provoked."

"So? Who cares," Hirofumi turned back to Schuldig. "It's not like I'm interested! I'm not some sort of pervert."

"Oh, aren't you, though?" Schuldig held up his gnarled wood cane towards a mirror to the left of the one Tot was in. The image of the last girl he'd raped and beaten came into focus. She was in the hospital with her parents beside her. He turned away from the image, never liking to see the messy aftermath of his rampages. "But wouldn't it be much easier if the silly laws keeping you from your passions didn't exist?"

He glowered at Schuldig. "You don't know anything about me!"

"I know what I need to know. And I can fix things for you. How about a deal? Crawford would like to make you an offer."

He glanced over at Tot, who was now kneeling on the floor. Eyes full of fear. He wanted her more than anything.

"Would Crawford look the other way if I could have her?" Hirofumi ventured, desperate.

"I'll tell you what. Crawford will let Tot play with you for centuries. All you have to do is agree to hand over your body to her. Is it a deal?"

"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, there was an ache in his joints. He found himself getting stiffer and stiffer. The perspective started shifting. It was as if he rapidly shrunk into a much smaller body where the world was tremendously huge. He wanted to scream as the now gigantic carnival barker leaned over and scooped him up in his hand.

"Tot, my dear, Schuldig has a gift for you." The barker held out Hirofumi towards the mirror where Tot was. She stepped from the mirror and squealed in delight.

"That's a very naughty dolly. Tot will punish it a lot!" She clenched him tightly as horror flood Hirofumi's mind.

"Come on, I'll take you back to your sisters," Schuldig said, stooping a little. Tot squealed and launched herself onto Schuldig's back. He hoisted her up as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. After she was settled, he jogged through one of the mirrors that distorted their image into giants.

* * *

Reiji stood up the moment Crawford enter the small tent. "Welcome. Farfarello told me that there was some trouble on the midway. My sincerest apologies."

"Well, I'm grateful your man caught the thief. Thanks."

"Please have a seat. I'll answer some questions for you, free of charge, for all your trouble," Crawford offered.

"Thanks. How amusing. My daughter would love this," Reiji said, as they sat across from each other at the round table with the Ouija board. "But the thing I want to know is if I'll win the election next week."

"You want a guarantee you'll win?"

"Certainly. Wouldn't you?"

"Okay, then. Let's have a deal, you'll win the election and then you'll do me a little favor."

"What kind of favor? Money? Or getting my brother off your back?" he asked, playing along He didn't really believe this guy could see the future, but he was interested in what kind of audacity this man had to ask a favor from him.

"Simple. I want you agree to give me the next relative you bump into."

Reiji threw back his head and laughed. "Sure... sure... have Shuichi. He's gotten too expensive anyway."

"So it's a deal. If you win next week, I'll claim the next of your relatives you bump into."

Reiji laughed again. "Really, Crawford, you take yourself too seriously. It's been fun. Thanks once again." Reiji stood and turned around. As he left the tent, Ouka bumped into his chest. She flashed him a bright smile. He looked behind her to see Mamoru carrying a few stuffed animals he had probably won for her; Mamoru was an even better marksman than Hirofumi. His face drained of color when he looked back to Ouka.

"Daddy, I talked Mamoru into getting our fortunes read. Did you get yours?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he murmured, and looked over his shoulder at Crawford. The fortuneteller's face was devoid of anything except the trace of a smug smile.

"Goodnight, Mister Takatori. It was a pleasure doing business with you." The carnival owner gave him a cool smile and started shuffling his tarot card. He then looked at Ouka and Mamoru. "Come in, children. I'll tell you everything you want to know, and some things you won't."

Reiji stepped aside and let his daughter and youngest son have a seat at Crawford's table. He wandered out of the tent, feeling a little shaken up. He loved Ouka the most of his children, and he couldn't imagine losing her.

He shook his head, Crawford was just trying to spook him for effect. He'd win the election and Ouka would one day grow up to be a lovely bride he'd walk down the aisle. By the time he got to the midway, he shook off the uncanny feeling of losing Ouka and started to look for Hirofumi.

* * *

"Shuichi? Are you okay?" Rinzo asked, helping his friend to his feet. Shuichi wobbled and was unresponsive.

"He's still having a mirror dream," Nagi answered. "He'll be fine in a moment and won't remember much of anything. Sometimes, Crawford likes to give the people he makes deals with a taste of their future. Those nightmares pool in the mirrors and are reflected out to patrons later. It adds to their uneasy feelings as they walk through."

He watched Nagi stretch out both hands; the mirror he had shattered reassembled itself with a flawless, reflective surface. "I guess you have the same powers as Crawford?"

"No, I'm a telekinetic, he's a clairvoyant with a lot of accumulated talent. The only power I control, besides my own power from the dust running through me, is what he allows me to use as his proxy. Same with Schuldig and Farfarello."

"But you go by a real name? They don't."

"Because after a deal is sealed with Crawford you lose your real name and he gives you another. Names are tied to the soul. I won't make my deal until he chooses to go back to the dust. I just remain an October person until then. Pretty soon, since you made the deal, he'll take your name and give you a new one."

"I see." Rinzo nodded and shook Shuichi a little more. His friend mumbled something, gave a strangled cry, and bolted away from Rinzo's grip. "It's me. Come to."

Shuichi's eyes focused on Rinzo. He went from dazed to a more confused expression. "Where am I?"

"You don't remember? We came in here after you talked to the carnival owner. We were just walking around and you slipped on the floor. You almost broke that mirror, but I think you'll be fine. I don't see a cut," Rinzo lied, putting his will for Shuichi to believe him behind the story.

Shuichi looked ill at ease for a moment, but nodded. "Yeah, I do remember."

"This young man heard what was going on and came to check on us. He's Crawford's assistant. He'll be following us around to make sure the rest of the night goes smoothly."

"Yeah, sure... anything you say Rinzo." The lawyer was shocked how pliable Shuichi was to his suggestions now. It seemed effortless to bully and deceive.

By the time they left the hall of mirrors, Shuichi came to and took a deep breath. "I feel lucky. Wonder if there's any games going on?"

Rinzo turned to Nagi. "Any gambling here?"

"This way." Nagi lead them down the midway to a red and white striped tent. In they went. It was was crowded with gaming tables. Bare lights dangled from the top of the tent, giving it a harsher glow than any other place on the midway.

"That's what I'm looking for." Shuichi went straight for the poker table, leaving Rinzo and Nagi by the tent's entrance.

"So he made a deal with Crawford? I bet it was so he could win at gambling all the time."

"Yes, but Crawford always puts in a twist so he can later claim them. He'll enjoy his gift for a few days, then the deal's twist will kick in, and that's when Crawford collects."

"Fascinating. Do you think Crawford would mind if I shadowed Shuichi to watch it happen?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, but make sure you get express permission to leave the carnival grounds from Crawford. You no longer have free reign in the world," Nagi warned. Rinzo took the warning seriously and looked over at Shuichi. The man already had a stack of money in front of him and was bidding again.

"Shuichi was always a greedy mother 'effer. Then again, so am I," Rinzo said, with an arrogant gloating tone to the dour teenager.

* * *

The amusement ride car Masafumi was in screeched to a halt after it puttered down a long, pitch black hallway. "Hello?" He called out after several long still minutes in the dark. He shivered slightly as a slight green glow came from the floor. It grew and grew until it illuminated what appeared to be a huge water tank. From the murkiness a tapered hand fluttered by the front.

Masafumi leaned forward, intrigued. Suddenly, the attractive, blond woman from that afternoon appeared. He could see she was still half naked with gold chains around her neck and wrists. Something in a translucent orange color fluttered below. What amazed Masafumi was that the woman was calmly staying underwater for an extremely long time. She was even smiling at him, no panic.

"Miss Schön?" He stood up and put his hand on the front of the icy, cold tank. "How in the world...?" The fluttering orange beneath her torso caught his eye. He flinched back into his seat with a stiffled scream. His brain processed that her lower half was actually a giant fish's tail.

She swam to the surface of the tank and pulled herself to the edge. He looked carefully at her, now that his initial shock had worn off. Yes, she was exceedingly beautiful, even with the distressed expression she wore.

"Hello, Doctor Takatori," a voice came from behind. He turned to see a huge spider web with Hell perched in the center. He was unnerved to see she now had six arms and a lump on her lower back. Her eyes were multifaceted and crimson. He didn't miss her fangs either. "We wanted to speak with you."

"What kind of trick is this? It looks real," Masafumi murmured, his scientific mind taking over his incredulity at their freakish appearances.

"It is real," Hell said, she climbed to the top of the web. The lump on her lower back produced a white thread. The thread extended, lowering her upside down. She now dangled in front of his face. Her face was as distressed as the woman in the tank. "You're our only hope. We need you to cure us and rescue us from this hell."

"How did you get like this?" he asked.

He looked over his shoulder in time to see Schön crawl out of the tank and lower herself to the ground. She crawled over toward Masafumi and took Tot's empty seat beside him. He could now see her tail wasn't fake in the least.

"It was that beast Crawford. He tricked us and turned us into what you see," Schön said, with raw venom. "Hell said you were a brilliant scientist and could cure us with the research you're doing."

He turned back to Hell. "You know me?"

"I was once a forensic scientist that disappeared five years ago. I was a fan of your work. I wish we could have met before I was tricked into this life."

"I see. Yes, I've advanced my research a great deal, but it's still not ready. There's a barrier I've hit in my research. It's so far out of reach."

"No," Schön said sorrowfully, hanging her head. Her shoulders slumped and shook. Masafumi realized she was crying. He felt a deep sympathy for her, just like he had for Tot. He laid a hand on her bare shoulder. She flung her arms around his neck. He felt Hell slide up behind him.

She laid her hands on his upper arms, and then she whispered in his ear. "Please. I can assist you. Please save us. We desperately need you."

"Well, well, well, ladies, it seems you found a boyfriend," Schuldig's voice called out from the dark. Masafumi looked over to his right where a vague shimmer came from the dark. Schuldig stepped from the shadows, carrying Tot on his back. She appeared gleeful as she hopped down and lofted a doll in the air.

"Where did you take Tot?" Hell snarled, leaping at Schuldig, her six fists lofted in the air. The carnival barker looked a little surprised before adopting a smug smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked.

"You bastard!" Schön said, letting go of Masafumi.

"Schuldig was being nice to Tot," the girl defended the carnival's barker, her hand on her hip. "Honest."

The two, older women looked satisfied, but still angry. The barker just leaned on his cane when there were two other shimmers that appeared in the dark. It was Crawford and the one-eyed carny.

"Hello, Doctor Takatori. I've been wanting to meet you," Crawford said, with a bright smile. "It's time we had a talk."

Masafumi watched the altered women back away from Crawford and his crew, now afraid. Tot joined her sisters, hiding behind Hell, now. Masafumi stood from the little orange car and stepped out into the hallway.

"I have some things to ask you, too."

"Let's go this way." Crawford lofted his cane and a light raised, revealing a small, side door. He opened it to reveal a staircase that lead to the cool, night air. The cacophonous sounds suddenly erupted from the midway. He followed Crawford, and his men trailed behind.

* * *

Mamoru walked with his sister, disturbed by what the American clairvoyant told him. Ouka, on the other hand, enjoyed her future. Crawford told her she would get a kiss from her true love on election night.

Mamoru, on the other hand, was going to live a blood-filled life wandering the world after an unobtainable quest. Tonight, he would meet three men that would change his life and he would travel with them for the rest of his natural life. Ouka laughed off the whole thing, and Mamoru pretended to shrug it off.

"How about a soda?" Ouka asked.

Mamoru dredged up a smile and nodded. They walked over to the food truck and ordered sodas. He looked over to a tall, blond man sitting on a bench beside the truck. He was smoking a cigarette with a confused expression. He watched the man take a swig of beer and mumbled, "It can't be. I'm just imagining things."

Mamoru went over to the man, a little concerned. "Sir, are you okay?"

"Hun? Uh... yeah, I just thought I saw someone I knew. An old business partner of mine." The man burst out in dry laugher and waved his hand with the the beer bottle. "It'd be impossible because she died a while ago. You know, I think I'm just being sentimental because I brought her here five years ago, but I can't really remember all that much about that night. Oh well... the woman I saw was actually dancing and a part of a magic act. She just couldn't be my old partner." The man shook his head.

"Tickets!" They both looked over to the man on the ground. He wore a dingy, J-league soccer shirt and carried a stamp in one hand. Mamoru realized, with pity, the man was missing his legs.

"Yeah, and who are you?" the smoking man snarled.

"The ticket taker. Out with them," the bitter, legless man snarled.

Mamoru got his and Ouka's tickets out, as did the smoker. After they were stamped, the legless man made his way down the midway on balled up fists. Mamoru looked up to see a young man peeking from around the food trailer, his eyes never left the legless man. The young man joined them at the bench once the legless man was out of sight, a stunned expression on his face.

"I think I know him from somewhere. What did he say his name was? I couldn't catch it?" he asked them.

"The ticket taker or something," the smoker said, giving the young man a smirk. "Glad I'm not the only once going nuts around here."

"Ken Hideka," the young man introduced himself.

"Youji Kudou," the smoker said, before taking another swig of his beer.

"This is one strange place," Mamoru said, with a shiver. It was odd these two men, strangers to one another, would have the same type of Déjà vu. They looked at him and gave half nods. "I'm Mamoru Takatori, and my sister, Ouka."

"Hello," she said, joining them and handing Mamoru his soda.

There was a disturbance, out of the blue, close by. A crowd was gathering at the side of a ride several feet away. The four of them abandon their drinks and made their way through the gathering crowds. When they got to the edge, they were shocked to see a young, redheaded man kneeling beside a teenage girl. He was cradling her limp form, tears in his eyes, but his face full of rage.

There was another man in a business suit standing over them. He started backing away from the scene, an empty expression on his face. The young redhead called out, "Father! Where are you going? Father! Find help for Aya!"

Mamoru recognized them. It was Mister Fujimiya, his father's banker, and the Fujimiya children: Ran and Aya. He just knew Ran in passing, because he was three years older, but Mamoru was in the same grade as Aya and they had spent some time together. She was a very shy girl with an extremely kind heart.

He went forward and knelt in front of Ran just as an ambulance came. There was a huge amount of blood coming from her head. It wasn't long before medics had the girl on a stretcher and were taking her away. They wouldn't let Ran come along, in spite of the shouting match he got in with the medics.

"I'll take you," Youji offered out of the blue, cutting off the argument.

Ran nodded and they left towards the parking lot. Mamoru looked over to see his father had shown up and was now talking to Ouka. He now felt he could leave Ouka, safe and sound. He looked over at Ken. He was very curious about Ken and Youji's faulty memories. He decided to keep them all together a little longer, so he asked, "Are you coming with us?"

"Sure." With that, they chased after Youji and Ran.

* * *

"So, you've been working on saving humanity from its weaknesses, the flesh. But what's a human without flesh?" Crawford said, sitting behind the table where he told fortunes. Farfarello and Schuldig stood behind Crawford's chair. One looking apathetic, the other looking gleeful.

Masafumi sat across from him. "I'll create the next step in human evolution. I'll bring the future to flesh and blood, now, and save humanity from decay."

"Why just one step that humanity will take? Why not three? Why not fifty-five? Seven hundred-and-seventy-seven? Or nine thousand-nine hundred-and ninety-nine? I could grant you the ability to bring about the final product of human evolution. I've seen that far in the future.

"When the earth has stopped its revolutions on its axis from tidal breaking, when dawn and dusk no longer carry meaning, when the moon is nothing more than a pulverized circle around the earth. When there are no more Octobers and the October people will leave this place and move into the black void of space. Is that the knowledge you seek?"

"Yes! I want to bring it through my science. I want to change humanity."

"Enslave it, you mean. You're, by far, the greediest of the Takatori lot. Your ambitions and talent caught my eye. That's why I'm offering you this gift. You'll get what you want, and I'll get something I want."

Masafumi's eyes narrowed. "Also, those women and that girl you have here..."

"You want them to escort you. I'll give them a little freedom. They have one week to spend with you in their mortal forms." At this, Schuldig and Farfarello perked up and left the tent, wordlessly. "What you call magic, begins where science ends."

Masafumi shook his head. "There is no such thing science can't answer. Including what you did with those women."

"Oh you'll find out what I did with them first hand. What will happen is that you'll have a dream tonight. It'll be all the information you need to create a formula that can gradually change DNA into the finally embodiment that humanity achieves."

"What do you want in return? Hustlers like you are always after something."

Crawford's looked up as the tent flap opened. Farfarello carried Schön wrapped in a gold blanket, Schuldig was dragging Hell and Neu in by the upper arms, they were cloaked in scarlet and gray, respectively. Tot trailed in looking confused.

Crawford turned to the struggling, disgruntled women. "You ladies have my express permission to leave for one week, one day, one hour, and one minute." He lofted his cane topper at them and all the jewelry around the women's necks, wrists, and ankles evaporated into powder with a loud clanging like glass on glass. All of the powder drifted towards Crawford's cane, disappearing into the ruby topper. The lacy collar, fingerless gloves, and crinoline under Tot's skirt also disappeared, turned to smoke, and returned to Crawford's cane, her tea-length dress now turning a deep shade of purple.

Tot stepped back, confused, and looked as if she knew no one around her. She touched her lips when she looked at Crawford and some recognition hit her eyes. "What am I doing here? Where are my parents?"

"Tot, my dear, I restored you to how I found you. You will not remember anything about your parents, only that I found you hiding on my carousel. You are to go with this man and treat him as your kindly, benevolent father. Understood?" Crawford asked. She nodded and gripped her hands tightly together. Masafumi could no longer see any trace of the outgoing, cheery girl he knew.

He watched her hand over a doll to Crawford. The doll looked like a plastic, male figure dressed in preppy clothing. Its face was oddly familiar to Masafumi. Crawford took it from Tot and said, "I'll give him back when you return."

Masafumi stood and looked over at the other women. Schön slid out of Farfarello's arms. She pushed the man away, now standing on two shapely legs. Neu pushed back her veil and there was no longer any strange electrifying glow there. Hell rubbed her hands along her red, silk-clad sides, shock was there. Masafumi could tell she was restored as well.

"What I want is for you to return with the Ladies of Schreient at the end of their time with you and show me what you've created."

"Is that all?"

"The rest will become apparent. Now, do you want to be a scientist that achieves bringing about mankind's ultimate destiny? Or do you want all your research to go to waste? You see, I've foreseen that if you don't take my deal, you'll ultimately die with no further research done, and all to the ridicule of your fellow scientists. The choice is yours."

"I will not be a laughing stock. It's a deal!"

"Good. Ladies, remember what I told you happens if you stay one second outside of the carnival limits without my direct permission."

Masafumi didn't miss how all the women grew pale and trembled. He stepped over to Schön and Hell and put his arms around their shoulders. Once he guided them out of the tent, with Neu and Tot following he said, "Don't worry. Once I make my discovery, I'll use it on us and you'll never have to go back to him."

Schön sobbed on his shoulder and Hell clung onto him tighter. His pride soared having these women count on him so much. He looked behind him where Neu was protecting a fearful Tot with her arms around the girl's shoulders.

He found his father and Ouka on the midway. Reiji asked, "Where is Hirofumi?"

"I don't know," Masafumi answered. "Probably at home. I need to get these ladies to my house and take care of them. It seems they're very ill."

His father looked over the group of women and shook his head in disapproval just as Rinzo came up. Reiji turned to Rinzo. "So now where is Shuichi?"

"Gambling and winning. He'll catch a ride later. I'll see to it," Rinzo answered.

"Well, I've got to get Ouka home, and Mamoru ran off, too. I swear he better have a good reason."

"He did, daddy. One of his classmates was in an accident so he went to go see if she was okay. He'll probably be at home when we get there."

Reiji nodded, looking a little more agreeable. "Come on," he said, taking his daughter by the hand. Masafumi and the women followed behind. Masafumi was relieved his father was too distracted by Hirofumi and Mamoru to chew him out about the strange women he was bringing home.

To be continued.


End file.
